Explain the female reproductive system in eockroach.

Explanation

The female reproductive system of cockroach consists of a pair of ovaries, vagina, genital pouch, collaterial glands, spermathecac and the external genitalia. A pair of ovaries lies laterally in the `2^(nd) and 6^(th)` abdominal segment. Each ovary is formed of a group of cight ovarian tubules or ovarioles, containing a chain of developing ova. The lateral oviducts of cach ovary unite into a broad median common oviduct known as vagina, which opens into the genital chamber. The vertical opening of the vagima is the female genital pore. A pair of spermathecae is present in the `6^(th)` segment, which opens by a median aperture in the dorsal wall of the genital pouch. During copulation, the ova descend to the genital chamber, where they are fertilized by the sperms. A pair of white and branched collaterial glands present behind the ovaries forms a hard egg case called Ootheca around the cggs. Genital pouch is formed by the `7^(th), 8^(th) and 9^(th)` abdominal sterna. The genital pouch has two chambers, a genital chamber into which the vagina opens and an oothecal chamber where oothecae are formed. Three pairs of plate like chitinous structures called gonapophyses are present around the female genital aperture. These gonapophyses guide the ova into the Ootheca as ovipositors